Action Plan Leader’s Name: Cathy Felty Rationale:
As librarians we believe that every person has the right of free access to information. In fact, the ALA Code of Ethics demands that we ensure access to all users with the entreaty: “We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.” Further, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that a student identified as having a qualifying disability is entitled to a free and appropriate public education that prepares him or her for further education, employment, and independent living. The law also provides that the special education program and related services must not only be specially designed to meet the unique challenges of the student, but also allow them access to the same general curriculum being taught to non-disabled peers. Moreover, in the educational setting, Section 504 of the Civil Rights Law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disabling conditions by programs and activities receiving or benefiting from federal financial assistance; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination based on a disability by public entities, and states that appropriate modifications and accommodations must be made so that the student can access the educational program and facilities.
In the 2008 to 2009 school year, 14% of BFE High School students were identified as having a disability. Because students with special needs have the federally mandated right to access the general curriculum just as their non-disabled peers, we must work to find ways to accommodate their needs to access information in the media center. The intention of this action plan is to build on the collaborative relationship between teachers and the media specialist (Appendix B-SWOTs-internal strength #5: teachers and media specialist collaborate for a wide variety of information gathering; and internal strength #6: media specialist has in-depth knowledge of students’ and staff needs because of small school size) and to ensure the Beuford Franklin Edison Media Center complies with federal law related to educational programs and related services for students with disabilities, as well as the code of ethics from the American Library Association. by addressing the outdated and small collection (Appendix B- SWOTs- internal weakness #5).
Not all accommodations and modifications needed for students to access resources in the media center are expensive or complex. Because of the many federal mandates, there are numerous agencies that provide support for individuals with special needs. Many of these agencies are funded through federal programs and charged with the task of providing services for people who are blind, mentally or physically impaired, or have a print disability. Because they are often supported by taxpayers, many of these agencies provide goods and services at little or no cost to the user. It would behoove the media center to contact these agencies and see how our students would benefit from their programs.
Steps/Timeline/Responsibility: Step 1: Collaborate with Special Education Teachers and Teacher of the Visually Impaired to identify all students at BFE High School who need specific accommodations to access information and the general curriculum. Timeline:March 2010 -
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 2: Develop lesson plan and provide instruction in standard Universal Design for Learning (UDLs) which provide flexibility for all students to access information on computers in the library including: Zoom in (hold control key + roll mouse wheel); Accessibility Options to change cursor size/speed (Start, Control Panel, Accessibility); Speech tools (Speech to text, text to Speech via Language Bar in MS Office) and Microsoft magnifier accessibility on computers to students and staff.
Timeline:April 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, School tech specialist, Special Education Teachers, students
Step 3: Contact Bookshare.org, a program that offers accessible books and periodicals for readers with print disabilities. It is currently free to all students in the U.S. because of a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Complete registration form to become a qualified organization, and register students who have a qualifying print disability. Timeline:March 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 4: Download Read OutLoud software (a screen reader software program from the Don Johnston Company that reads digital ebooks and webpages aloud). A stand alone version of the software costs $299, but membership in Bookshare allows qualified schools' students to download it for free on computers used by students with qualifying disabilities. Currently we will only be able to load the software on 3 of the 5 computers in the library. It is our intention to increase the number of student stations and therefore increase the number of areas qualified students may access the digitized books and screen reader software in the library. Timeline:April 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 5: Develop a training guide and train students and staff on the procedure for requesting books through Bookshare.org. Train students and staff how to use Read Outloud to access information on the internet.
Timeline:May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Technology Teacher, Students
Step 6: Advise parents that students qualify for services through Bookshare.org and can receive the identical school services at home. Provide contact information to parents by mailing a packet to the home with an application and information regarding the organization.
Timeline:May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist
Step 7: Contact Madilyn Dabbs at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), a national nonprofit, volunteer organization, which has an accessible audiobook library for students with disabilities such as visual impairment or dyslexia. Request list of available book titles that qualified students can borrow. Timeline:May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 8: Apply for RFB&D grant to purchase a VictorReader machine for the library. This machine plays special Daisy-format book CDs available for extended check out at no cost to the user. Timeline:May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 9: Register students who qualify for free services from RFB&D. Create an outline and instruct them in the procedure for requesting books. Timeline: June 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Students GJ - we should be specific where the student or students come from and how they were selected to helpCF- the students were already identified in step 1.
Step 10: Advise parents that students qualify for services through RFB&D and can receive the identical services at home. Provide contact information to parents by mailing a packet to the home with an application and information regarding the organization. GJ - I think there should be a step where we state where the packet came from and who puts the packets together. I also think this can be combined with the Bookshare.org step so that packets can be mailed at the same time and save on costs and time since combining 2 activities into one. I think what I have is sufficient- I feel we may be "overplanning"; also it may not be feasible to combine since we have different time lines, and not all students qualify for all services.
Timeline: June 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 11: Contact Division of Blind Services- Students with Visual or physical Impairments have access to resources from the Florida Braille and talking book library. Download application for services and assist student to complete it. Librarian will have to verify the visual or physical impairment. Timeline:May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Students, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 12: Create a reference packet for students and train them on the procedure for requesting books through the Florida Braille and talking book library. Timeline:May 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Students
Step 13: Advise parents that students qualify for services through the Florida Braille and talking book library and can receive the identical services at home. Books can be requested and mailed to and from the home at no charge to the family through “Free Matter for the Blind”. Provide contact information to parents by mailing a packet to the home with an application and information regarding the organization. GJ-this one could also be combined with others so that students and parents find out about all programs at one time and get the packets mailed to them at one time No, because they are not all the same students-the students who qualify for FLorida Braille and Talking book are just students with Visual Impairments, Bookshare and RFB&D could also include kids with physical impairments as well as Intellectual disabilities (Print disability) Timeline:May 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 14: Collaborate with teacher of Visually Impaired to contact local Lions Club group. Lions Club is an international service organization that provides philanthropic financial support to organizations which serve people with special needs, especially people with sight issues. Apply for grant to purchase an adapted keyboard with Braille overlays. Timeline:July 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Lions Club Representative
Step 15: Purchase Intellikeys Adapted Keyboard- Intellikeys adapted keyboard allows students with significant physical limitations who cannot use a regular keyboard to access the computer through the larger keys. All parameters of the keyboard can be adjusted including the layout, sensitivity, repeat, etc. Braille overlays make it an ideal access tool for individuals who have both vision and physical issues. Timeline: August 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 16: Develop a training guide and train students and teachers on set up and use of the Intellikeys adapted keyboard. Timeline: August 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Student
Step 17: Register the Media Center with Technology Assistance for Special Consumers (TASC), a lending library based out of Huntsville Alabama. The center provides access to adapted books and materials at little or no cost to the consumer. This materials are better suited for individuals with more significant cognitive disabilities.
Timeline: April 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 18: Develop a training guide and train teachers on the procedure for requesting items through the TASC Library.
Timeline: April 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Budget: Most of the services included this action plan come at no cost to the school. It’s simply a matter of the time needed to complete applications and wait for approval for services.
Victor Reader- $395.00- Possible funding through a grant from RFB&D
Intellikeys- $395- Possible funding through the Lions Club.
Budget total- $790.00
GJ- please provide a total for the budget and I think you should include mailing cost for the packets and paper costs for the development of the training guides- CF- I have not ever had to encumber funds for postage or paper or other regular supplies- only special items like bar code labels, spine tape, book jacket wrap, but never paper or stamps.
Evaluation:
Evaluation will be performed on the effectiveness of the program. Data will be collected on the total number of students who receive services in a Special Education program and compared with data collected on the number of students who are registered in each of the service programs, (i.e. RFB&D, Bookshare.org, etc.). Collection statistics will be taken by manual count each time students and staff request books and materials from RFB&D and Division of Blind Services. As administrator for the Bookshare.org account, the media specialist will automatically receive an emailed report of circulation statistics. That data will be compiled with circulation statistics for materials in the regular collection and evaluated alongside circulation data of non-disabled peers to determine if students with disabilities use the services of the library at the same rate as non-disabled students.
Resources:
Bookshare. (2009). Accessible Books and Periodicals for Readers with Print Disabilities. Retrieved from Bookshare.org on November 15, 2009 from http://bookshare.org/.
Department of Education. (2009). Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities. Retrieved November 15,2009 fromhttp://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html
Florida Division of Blind Services. (2009, October 14). The Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services. Retrieved on November 15, 2009 from http://dbs.myflorida.com/library/index.php
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. (2009). Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic®: Building Bridges Between Print Disabilities and Educational Success. Retrieved November 15, 2009, from http://www.rfbd.org/index.htm.
Rationale:
As librarians we believe that every person has the right of free access to information. In fact, the ALA Code of Ethics demands that we ensure access to all users with the entreaty: “We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.” Further, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that a student identified as having a qualifying disability is entitled to a free and appropriate public education that prepares him or her for further education, employment, and independent living. The law also provides that the special education program and related services must not only be specially designed to meet the unique challenges of the student, but also allow them access to the same general curriculum being taught to non-disabled peers. Moreover, in the educational setting, Section 504 of the Civil Rights Law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disabling conditions by programs and activities receiving or benefiting from federal financial assistance; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination based on a disability by public entities, and states that appropriate modifications and accommodations must be made so that the student can access the educational program and facilities.
In the 2008 to 2009 school year, 14% of BFE High School students were identified as having a disability. Because students with special needs have the federally mandated right to access the general curriculum just as their non-disabled peers, we must work to find ways to accommodate their needs to access information in the media center. The intention of this action plan is to build on the collaborative relationship between teachers and the media specialist (Appendix B-SWOTs-internal strength #5: teachers and media specialist collaborate for a wide variety of information gathering; and internal strength #6: media specialist has in-depth knowledge of students’ and staff needs because of small school size) and to ensure the Beuford Franklin Edison Media Center complies with federal law related to educational programs and related services for students with disabilities, as well as the code of ethics from the American Library Association. by addressing the outdated and small collection (Appendix B- SWOTs- internal weakness #5).
Not all accommodations and modifications needed for students to access resources in the media center are expensive or complex. Because of the many federal mandates, there are numerous agencies that provide support for individuals with special needs. Many of these agencies are funded through federal programs and charged with the task of providing services for people who are blind, mentally or physically impaired, or have a print disability. Because they are often supported by taxpayers, many of these agencies provide goods and services at little or no cost to the user. It would behoove the media center to contact these agencies and see how our students would benefit from their programs.
Steps/Timeline/Responsibility:
Step 1: Collaborate with Special Education Teachers and Teacher of the Visually Impaired to identify all students at BFE High School who need specific accommodations to access information and the general curriculum.
Timeline:March 2010 -
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 2: Develop lesson plan and provide instruction in standard Universal Design for Learning (UDLs) which provide flexibility for all students to access information on computers in the library including: Zoom in (hold control key + roll mouse wheel); Accessibility Options to change cursor size/speed (Start, Control Panel, Accessibility); Speech tools (Speech to text, text to Speech via Language Bar in MS Office) and Microsoft magnifier accessibility on computers to students and staff.
Timeline:April 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, School tech specialist, Special Education Teachers, students
Step 3: Contact Bookshare.org, a program that offers accessible books and periodicals for readers with print disabilities. It is currently free to all students in the U.S. because of a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Complete registration form to become a qualified organization, and register students who have a qualifying print disability.
Timeline:March 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 4: Download Read OutLoud software (a screen reader software program from the Don Johnston Company that reads digital ebooks and webpages aloud). A stand alone version of the software costs $299, but membership in Bookshare allows qualified schools' students to download it for free on computers used by students with qualifying disabilities. Currently we will only be able to load the software on 3 of the 5 computers in the library. It is our intention to increase the number of student stations and therefore increase the number of areas qualified students may access the digitized books and screen reader software in the library.
Timeline:April 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 5: Develop a training guide and train students and staff on the procedure for requesting books through Bookshare.org. Train students and staff how to use Read Outloud to access information on the internet.
Timeline: May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Technology Teacher, Students
Step 6: Advise parents that students qualify for services through Bookshare.org and can receive the identical school services at home. Provide contact information to parents by mailing a packet to the home with an application and information regarding the organization.
Timeline: May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist
Step 7: Contact Madilyn Dabbs at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), a national nonprofit, volunteer organization, which has an accessible audiobook library for students with disabilities such as visual impairment or dyslexia. Request list of available book titles that qualified students can borrow.
Timeline:May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 8: Apply for RFB&D grant to purchase a VictorReader machine for the library. This machine plays special Daisy-format book CDs available for extended check out at no cost to the user.
Timeline:May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 9: Register students who qualify for free services from RFB&D. Create an outline and instruct them in the procedure for requesting books.
Timeline: June 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Students GJ - we should be specific where the student or students come from and how they were selected to help CF- the students were already identified in step 1.
Step 10: Advise parents that students qualify for services through RFB&D and can receive the identical services at home. Provide contact information to parents by mailing a packet to the home with an application and information regarding the organization. GJ - I think there should be a step where we state where the packet came from and who puts the packets together. I also think this can be combined with the Bookshare.org step so that packets can be mailed at the same time and save on costs and time since combining 2 activities into one. I think what I have is sufficient- I feel we may be "overplanning"; also it may not be feasible to combine since we have different time lines, and not all students qualify for all services.
Timeline: June 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 11: Contact Division of Blind Services- Students with Visual or physical Impairments have access to resources from the Florida Braille and talking book library. Download application for services and assist student to complete it. Librarian will have to verify the visual or physical impairment.
Timeline:May 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Students, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 12: Create a reference packet for students and train them on the procedure for requesting books through the Florida Braille and talking book library.
Timeline:May 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Students
Step 13: Advise parents that students qualify for services through the Florida Braille and talking book library and can receive the identical services at home. Books can be requested and mailed to and from the home at no charge to the family through “Free Matter for the Blind”. Provide contact information to parents by mailing a packet to the home with an application and information regarding the organization. GJ-this one could also be combined with others so that students and parents find out about all programs at one time and get the packets mailed to them at one time No, because they are not all the same students-the students who qualify for FLorida Braille and Talking book are just students with Visual Impairments, Bookshare and RFB&D could also include kids with physical impairments as well as Intellectual disabilities (Print disability)
Timeline:May 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 14: Collaborate with teacher of Visually Impaired to contact local Lions Club group. Lions Club is an international service organization that provides philanthropic financial support to organizations which serve people with special needs, especially people with sight issues. Apply for grant to purchase an adapted keyboard with Braille overlays.
Timeline:July 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Lions Club Representative
Step 15: Purchase Intellikeys Adapted Keyboard- Intellikeys adapted keyboard allows students with significant physical limitations who cannot use a regular keyboard to access the computer through the larger keys. All parameters of the keyboard can be adjusted including the layout, sensitivity, repeat, etc. Braille overlays make it an ideal access tool for individuals who have both vision and physical issues.
Timeline: August 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist,
Step 16: Develop a training guide and train students and teachers on set up and use of the Intellikeys adapted keyboard.
Timeline: August 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Student
Step 17: Register the Media Center with Technology Assistance for Special Consumers (TASC), a lending library based out of Huntsville Alabama. The center provides access to adapted books and materials at little or no cost to the consumer. This materials are better suited for individuals with more significant cognitive disabilities.
Timeline: April 2010
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Step 18: Develop a training guide and train teachers on the procedure for requesting items through the TASC Library.
Timeline: April 2010 and ongoing
Responsibility: School Library Media Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Budget:
Most of the services included this action plan come at no cost to the school. It’s simply a matter of the time needed to complete applications and wait for approval for services.
Victor Reader- $395.00- Possible funding through a grant from RFB&D
Intellikeys- $395- Possible funding through the Lions Club.
Budget total- $790.00
GJ- please provide a total for the budget and I think you should include mailing cost for the packets and paper costs for the development of the training guides- CF- I have not ever had to encumber funds for postage or paper or other regular supplies- only special items like bar code labels, spine tape, book jacket wrap, but never paper or stamps.
Evaluation:
Evaluation will be performed on the effectiveness of the program. Data will be collected on the total number of students who receive services in a Special Education program and compared with data collected on the number of students who are registered in each of the service programs, (i.e. RFB&D, Bookshare.org, etc.). Collection statistics will be taken by manual count each time students and staff request books and materials from RFB&D and Division of Blind Services. As administrator for the Bookshare.org account, the media specialist will automatically receive an emailed report of circulation statistics. That data will be compiled with circulation statistics for materials in the regular collection and evaluated alongside circulation data of non-disabled peers to determine if students with disabilities use the services of the library at the same rate as non-disabled students.
Resources:
Bookshare. (2009). Accessible Books and Periodicals for Readers with Print Disabilities. Retrieved from Bookshare.org on November 15, 2009 from http://bookshare.org/.
Cambium Learning (2006). Intellikeys adapted keyboard. Retrieved November 15,2009 from http://store.cambiumlearning.com/ProgramPage.aspx?parentId=074003405&functionID=009000008&site=itc ."Code of Ethics," American Library Association, July 07, 2006.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.cfm (Accessed November 19, 2009) Document ID: 45555.
Department of Education. (2009). Disability Discrimination: Overview of the Laws. Retrieved November 15, 2009 from http://www.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/disabilityoverview.html.
Department of Education. (2009). Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities. Retrieved November 15,2009 from http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html
Florida Division of Blind Services. (2009, October 14). The Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services. Retrieved on November 15, 2009 from http://dbs.myflorida.com/library/index.php
Humanware. (n.d.). Victor Reader Classic X. Retrieved November 15, 2009 from http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/blindness/dtb_players/classic_models/_details/id_57/victor_reader_classicx.html
IDEA – Building the Legacy (2009). Sec. 601 short title; table of contents; findings; purposes. Retrieved on November 15,2009 from http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cstatute%2CI%2CA%2C601%2C
Lions Club International. (2009). Sight Programs. Retrieved on November 15, 2009 from http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/our-work/sight-programs/index.php.
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. (2009). Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic®: Building Bridges Between Print Disabilities and Educational Success. Retrieved November 15, 2009, from http://www.rfbd.org/index.htm.
Technology Assistance for Special Consumers. (2009). Lending Library. Retrieved November 15, 2009 from: http://tasc.ataccess.org/services.htm#Lendinglibrary.